How are Cyclones Categorized and How are they Named?
By Balaji
Updated on: March 7th, 2023
Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWC) and Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres (RSMCs) give names to cyclones that originate in all ocean basins worldwide. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recently released a list of 169 names of future tropical cyclones that will appear in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
Table of content
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1. Categorization of Cyclones
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2. Naming of Cyclones
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3. How are Cyclones Categorized and How are they Named?
Categorization of Cyclones
There are five TCWCs and six RSMCs worldwide, including the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Based on the greatest sustained wind speed, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has categorized low-pressure systems in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. You can learn about the different kinds of disturbances and the associated wind speed in the following table:
| Type of Disturbance | Wind Speed |
| Low-pressure area | Less than 31 km per hour |
| Depression | 31-49 km per hour |
| Deep depression | 50-61 km per hour |
| Cyclonic storm | 62-88 km per hour |
| Severe cyclonic storm | 89-117 km per hour |
| Severe cyclonic storm | 118-167 km per hour |
| Very severe cyclonic storm | 168-221 km per hour |
| Super cyclonic storm | 222 km per hour |
Naming of Cyclones
- Tropical cyclones are typically named following regional regulations.
- Tropical cyclone names are given alphabetically and alternate between women’s and men’s names in the Atlantic and Southern Hemispheres (the Indian Ocean and South Pacific).
- Nations adopted a new system of gender-neutral names for tropical cyclones in the northern Indian Ocean in 2000.
- The names are listed alphabetically by nation.
Summary:
How are Cyclones Categorized and How are they Named?
The National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) of the WMO members in a particular region typically suggest the terminology of Cyclones, which is then approved by the appropriate regional tropical cyclone authorities at their annual/biennial meetings.
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